Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have been strengthening their ties in recent years, recognizing the significance of partnership and collaboration to address common challenges.
Nigeria, in particular, has been keen on building stronger relations with Saudi Arabia across various areas, from defense to economy, infrastructure and agriculture, owing to the Kingdom’s prominent role in promoting regional peace and global security. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is seeking to expand its partnerships worldwide, in line with its strategic goal of positioning itself as a global leader.
Strengthening Defense Ties
Nigeria’s State Minister of Defense, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, met with the Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense, Prince Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Ayyat, on November 18, 2024, in Riyadh. During their meeting, both officials discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in defense technologies, joint training initiatives, and developing comprehensive security strategies.
The Nigerian Minister expressed hope that this meeting would open the door for practical initiatives that serve the interests of both countries. “The alignment of our defense objectives demonstrates the mutual respect and understanding that exists between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria,” he said, according to the Nigerian newspaper National Economy.
Nigeria is making persistent efforts to tackle its domestic and regional security issues. To this end, it tries to modernize its armed forces and build global partnerships that foster the country’s domestic defense initiatives.
Practical Steps
After the meeting, Matawalle said that Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are close to signing military agreements that cover areas including joint training, capacity-building programs, counterterrorism training, and intelligence sharing. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he commended Saudi Arabia’s role in advancing regional stability and global security.
Matawalle added that his talks with the Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense centered around bolstering security ties, including counterterrorism training and intelligence sharing. “We aim to solidify Nigeria’s partnership with Saudi Arabia and finalize agreements on joint training programs and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen our armed forces,” he noted.
Counterterrorism Efforts in Nigeria
The State Minister of Defense highlighted Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorism, pointing to the significant progress made in that regard. He noted that bandits’ activities in the country’s northwest and groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP in the northeast have been largely deterred through operations such as FANSAN YAMMA and HADIN KAI.
He attributed these successes to Nigeria’s multi-faceted strategies and international partnerships with countries like Saudi Arabia, which contributed to enhancing intelligence and training.
Nigeria is a member of the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC). Both sides have made tireless efforts to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia has offered unwavering support for the coalition, including funding initiatives that benefit member states and backing training programs for security, military and civil agencies in the affected countries.
Economic Support
Saudi Arabia and Nigeria are also fostering their economic ties. On the sidelines of the Joint Arab-Islamic Follow-Up summit in Riyadh, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, met with the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Both leaders explored bilateral relations and ways to enhance joint cooperation across various fields. The Voice of Nigeria reported that the Saudi Crown Prince assured the Nigerian President that the Kingdom will support Nigeria’s economic reform programs.
Their meeting focused on exploring areas of potential collaboration, such as oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure, and the formation of the Saudi-Nigerian Business Council.
The West African nation seeks a $5bn trade facility from Saudi Arabia to bolster capital for its economic reform program. Since assuming presidency in May 2023, Tinubu has embarked on an economic reform program that aims to attract foreign capital to accelerate growth. Last month, the Nigerian President announced that the economic reforms have attracted over $30bn in foreign direct investment (FDI).
Fostering Saudi Arabia-Nigeria Relations
In May 2024, both Saudi Arabia and Nigeria agreed on strengthening bilateral ties and explore opportunities for potential investment in the fields of agriculture, trade and economy in Nigeria, owing to its vast potentials in those areas, according to Nigeria’s Ministry of Information.
Furthermore, both countries discussed collaboration in the fields of technology, agriculture, telecommunications, energy, oil and gas, in November 2023, on the sidelines of the first Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh. The discussions resulted in signing several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and the re-establishment of the Saudi-Nigerian Business Council.
In addition, Saudi Arabia, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), has embarked on several humanitarian projects in Nigeria, including the inauguration of a project to drill 6 solar-powered medium-depth water wells in Kwara State in May. It also signed an agreement in August to drill 21 solar-powered wells to improve water access across Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Osun, Oyo, and Kaduna.
